Indiana 38, Michigan 21
1. Indiana had 254 passing yards—at halftime. Michael Penix Jr. completed nine passes of 15+ yards on the day.
2. Michigan's defense committed offside penalties on two Indiana touchdowns and at least three other plays, I lost count and so did the live stats.
3. The Hoosiers entered this game 6-for-23 on third down conversions in 2020. They were 9-for-17 this afternoon before kneeling out the clock.
4. IU beat U-M by one more point than they beat Rutgers last week.
5. U-M last lost to IU by double digits in 1959.
6. Ty Fryfogle set a career high with 142 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.
7. With sacks removed, U-M rushed for 33 yards on 15 carries (2.2 YPC). IU's previous two opponents, Penn State and (once more, for emphasis) Rutgers, ran for 414 yards on 80 carries (5.2 YPC).
8. Iowa beat Michigan State 49-7 this afternoon. The Hawkeyes entered that game 0-2 with losses to Purdue and Northwestern. I don't need to remind you what happened last weekend.
9. This screencap:
10. Jim Harbaugh had a 20-4 record at Michigan heading into the 2016 Ohio State game. He's 28-16 since.
11. The Wolverines are 10-8 dating back to the 2018 OSU game. The margins in those eight losses have been 29, 26, 23, 21, 19, 17, seven, and three points.
Jim Harbaugh, Josh Gattis, and Don Brown need to turn the season around in a way that's hard to foresee right now to avoid facing some very difficult questions about their ability to run this program.
November 7th, 2020 at 5:16 PM ^
I used to think that too, but it happens every year.
November 8th, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^
I agree with ckersh. There is something that has happened that is not being discussed. The coaches didn't suddenly forget how to develop and motivate players. And the players were excellent recruits, despite the nonsense folks keep saying about a lack of talent. It has nothing at all to do with the 2016 Game or the call against Coach Harbaugh in that game. Get real folks
November 7th, 2020 at 10:40 PM ^
Maybe one of these days we will learn what really has gone on with Harbaugh. I'm a big believer in the Zoloft theory. In all of the years that I have been following both politics and sports, I have never seen a personality just change like that overnight. Harbaugh clearly needed his emotional ups and downs to thrive. Now he has neither and he is completely broken as a coach.
Throw out every one of Harbaugh's records before 2016 OSU. It no longer matters. That was a different man. The 28-16 is representative of who we have now, and he sucks. It's very very easy to find a guy who gets more out of his talent than Harbaugh does now. Not easy to find a great coach, much less an elite one, but the guy that we have now sucks horribly.
November 8th, 2020 at 10:48 AM ^
It's not meds.
He's never lost before. And losing to OSU in 2016 by being cheated, is deflating. Add in losing to MSU and the prick D. Seems he hasn't handled it well. Has his father Jack nearby which his move back to AA corresponds when he tanked. Tried one more time last year, got blown out and now knows Browns D won't cut it. Now he's just gonna go through the motions, he won't have that fire we want.
November 8th, 2020 at 2:09 PM ^
Not a whole lot of difference in his record pre or post 2016 OSU when you look at it. He did have more top rated talent on the team then, but not by much.
In my opinion, Coach Harbaugh seems to have lost his optimism about his ability to forge the players into a national championship level team. He used to be a real believer. Today, he just looks deflated and tired of treading water.
Next year, I hope that we hire a young, fired up coaching staff with ideas about how to win in the new era of college football. Look at what Dabo did at Clemson. He started off with a much lower level of talent on his roster and zero historical tradition. Just think about what a similar type of coaching can accomplish with a true blue blood program like ours. We may not have the most elite talent on the team, but they are top ten. Much better than what Dabo had to begin with.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:43 PM ^
It's funny. I never think about "the spot" because it was a bang bang play that could've been called either way and whichever way they called it, the team on the short end would feel cheated.
I think about the play before that one where Peppers had Samuels dead to rights for a 10 yard loss and missed the tackle. Make THAT play and it's 4th and 20 and they have to either chuck a hail Mary or hit a 53 yard FG to tie.
That's the one that pisses me off.
November 7th, 2020 at 7:00 PM ^
Michigan football players and not making a play when it matters. Name a more iconic duo.
November 7th, 2020 at 7:02 PM ^
Is that the one where Samuels was able to change direction like 3 times because of blatant holding, or a different one?
November 8th, 2020 at 2:11 PM ^
THIS!!! So much, this
November 9th, 2020 at 9:10 AM ^
Some flashes.... in year 6.... need to put that in perspective...
I wonder, did you watch Moeller or Bo's teams ? With real discipline and soundness... this team is just sloppy especially on defense... and undisciplined, and unprepared.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:11 PM ^
Teams will often have a weakness or two that they have to paper over, especially early in a coaching regime.
But how in the hell does this team have this many holes in year 6 of Harbaugh?
OL, QB, TE, DT, CB all are disasters at the entire unit level. Not even just a player or two. And the other units are nothing special it turns out.
Where is the continuity of experience and talent you should have 6 years into a program?
November 7th, 2020 at 4:30 PM ^
Yeah, but there is a lot of talent on this roster. One of the biggest problems I see is they're not developing enough of the guys and not utilizing them in the best way in all cases. But aside from that, something is really wrong with the level of energy and motivation we're seeing from the players. It almost seems like they've lost confidence -either in themselves, the coaches, or both.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:59 PM ^
I don’t know if there is talent on the roster. They have an awful lot of misses in recruiting. Dudek should be fired as much as anyone.
November 7th, 2020 at 11:27 PM ^
It is tough in modern offensive football to take as many TEs as UM does and even tougher to miss on essentially all of them (so far). Pair that with a FB and you're accounting for roster spots other teams aren't.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:11 PM ^
Those questions are already here my man.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:11 PM ^
It really seems as if the game has passed Harbaugh and brown by. Recruits are not buying what they were selling and any team with a pulse kicks our teeth in. It's great to beat up on the worst teams in the league but you have to come close to .500 against the top tier.
November 7th, 2020 at 8:03 PM ^
But when WE are one of the worst teams in the league and there’s no none left to beat up on, then what do you do?
November 7th, 2020 at 4:11 PM ^
Unlike the presidency where one can hide in the basement and cheat, football is won on in the locker room and on the field. Harbaugh and Co. need to move on.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
logged in just so I could ask you to be specific and provide evidence. please: proceed.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:32 PM ^
Please keep your unwanted political views out of this football game thread.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:36 PM ^
Unlike the presidency where one can dye everything orange and lie cheat and steal. May G-d have mercy on your soul.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:36 PM ^
At least when you ‘Inspect a bunker” during a protest, intentionally slow down the mail service to hinder mail in ballots and send your son to get dirt from the Russians on a political opponent, you don’t get rehired. Or is that not what you were referring to?
November 7th, 2020 at 4:38 PM ^
*bunker.
FIFY.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:11 PM ^
It was a great Fall afternoon to walk the dog, mow the lawn and enjoy the sunshine.
Wait..... what game?
November 7th, 2020 at 5:28 PM ^
Exactly. Took my son to hockey at halftime and never looked back
I’ll give the team a half of live viewing from me going forward because I’ll support these young men trying to battle...but these coaches can go kick rocks
November 7th, 2020 at 4:12 PM ^
I would fire Harbaugh today. I write this as I feel the problems with the team are coaching related:
#1 CB play. All of the flags on PI and holding come because this is HOW they are COACHED.
#2 DLine jumping offsides a million times. Again you gotta coach it differently.
#3 The offense: all the up the middle runs?, not one JET SWEEP, not one QB run; this is all coached and playcalledm I would say poorly.
I could go on. But I would now NIP IT IN THE BUD NOW, and move on. Sorry Jim; we love you, but you ain't cutting it.
Tough love.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:27 PM ^
Meh, I think this is a Jimmies and Joes problem, not that that’s really better in year 6.
1. Everyone except Dax Hill and sometimes Gemon Green are just that bad. Gray is unathletic and has zero awareness or ball skills. He’s committing PI because he is constantly getting beat and has no idea where the ball is. The two really telling plays were the second touchdown, where Gray was actually in good position, got a hand on the ball, and knocks it right to Fryfogle. In 2018 that ball is definitely knocked down or maybe intercepted. Second was that late third and ten before Indiana’s last TD where 3 Michigan players have the receiver bracketed, the throw is poor because Penix is about to get lit up, and Gray runs the guy over anyway.
On 2, honestly I think the line is being undisciplined because cheating is the only way to get pressure when you have no help from the secondary.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:42 PM ^
Who recruited and coached the Jimmies and Joes? If the talent isn't there, we only have the coaches to blame. Coaches pick the players they pursue.
November 7th, 2020 at 7:06 PM ^
Which is why I said “not that that’s much better in year 6”
November 7th, 2020 at 11:31 PM ^
Dax Hill is a legit safety. Other teams would have him over top with his eyes in the backfield hawking balls. UM has him in the slot playing the nickel to show off DB's exotic blitzes.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:36 PM ^
It seems whenever Michigan gets in a close game or they are playing a good team, Harbaugh starts calling more traditional plays making them predictable. The whole speed in space is reserved for games we should win against easy teams where Gatis can call what he wants.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:12 PM ^
Michigan should have fired his ass 2 years ago.
They will drag this on and on and on
because Michigan.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:28 PM ^
I don't think you fire a coach after 3 or 4 seasons unless you are seeing 6-6, 5-7, etc over and over. However, by season 6 you should have something going. Harbaugh should have ditched Don Brown 2 years ago and promoted a younger guy who can recruit and coach, and kept an experienced defensive coach to assist - did we have anything like that as an option? Brown was brought in to stop OSU and can't stop IU.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:44 PM ^
In retrospect, choosing Brown over Mattison sealed his fate.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:49 PM ^
Mattison was no great shakes with hoke. Matttison supposedly was part of the harbaugh family
November 7th, 2020 at 5:21 PM ^
Like our basketball coach?
November 7th, 2020 at 5:30 PM ^
It’s official official...we are a basketball school now. And baseball. And track. And hockey (hopefully this year is better) and swimming.
not football
November 7th, 2020 at 10:33 PM ^
They should have probably fired him after the 2018 OSU disaster and, if not then, then right after the 2019 Wisconsin disaster. I can't believe that there are still some holdouts here who think that firing Harbaugh would be unreasonable or premature at this point. He does nothing but embarrass the program now.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:14 PM ^
The team just lost from opening kickoff to final snap back to back against MSU and Indiana. At no point in either game did Michigan look like they deserved to be competitive with those teams. Indiana is a solid team but MSU is trash and we just could not hang with them.
The coaching staff has failed. The rest of the season does not matter. Only the decisions about he program matter at this point.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:31 PM ^
I could take losing to IU, although michigan shouldn't get blown out. They have a good team. MSU is a tire fire. No excuse for the past 2 weeks.
November 7th, 2020 at 5:33 PM ^
Spot on. I’ll pull for Indiana to keep playing well but wow msu is hot trash. So that means We are a landfill on fire
November 7th, 2020 at 4:14 PM ^
This is Harbaugh’s Hoke-Minnesota game. The moment when the camel’s back was broken by the straw.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:23 PM ^
Only now we get six more.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:16 PM ^
The best argument for keeping Harbaugh around was that he had a high floor. We didn’t want to be Nebraska, trading away a guaranteed 8-9 wins chasing an arrogant entitlement. As long as 2019 was the worst it was going to get, Harbaugh was going to stay the man, and probably rightfully so.
But now, barring a near miraculous turnaround, the floor has dropped out. Do we see more than 1 or 2 wins on the schedule left? This team is 2008 level bad, which was tough to swallow in year 1 but feels fatal in year 6.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:16 PM ^
Jesus Christ Ace. I know you're being diplomatic but damn it WARDE BETTER BE ALREADY ASKING "DIFFICULT QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO RUN THE PROGRAM."
Seems like everyone else in America knows the answer though right now. What else do we need to see?
That was embarrassing. On all levels embarrassing.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:26 PM ^
He almost brought himself to say what needs to be said ... but just couldn't do it. Waiting on a miracle I guess.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:19 PM ^
[Vince Carter it’s over dot gif]
November 7th, 2020 at 4:20 PM ^
Michigan got burned by the clap in the first half
Every time they talked about Whop I thought of
November 7th, 2020 at 4:21 PM ^
I don't understand the Gattis love by some on this site. Totally get that the buck stops with JH, but it feels like some of the same unsubstantiated mythologizing that had folks optimistic about Don Brown ("Gattis said speed in space! The problems must be that JH is stifling all of Gattis' brilliance because he would rather lose games than not run between the tackles.") If we're going to clean house, let's do it top-to-bottom with an experienced head coach.
November 7th, 2020 at 4:26 PM ^
Well, gattis called a good game against a ranked minnesota team, but now we know minnesota is trash. Brown has a long track record of excellence long before he came to michigan.
But yeah obviously this isn't working at all. I think the shortened season is even another reason -- with this top-paid staff, you'd expect the shortened season would be more of a drag on the rest of the conference and our coaching staff would shine. Instead, when there's chaos every team in the conference seems to handle it better than us.
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